James Q. Wilson

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Wilson: he was sceptical as to how much academics could contribute to solving the complexities of social relationshipsAP

Last updated at 12:01AM, March 7 2012

Political scientist and US presidential adviser who inspired the ‘zero tolerance’ approach to policing

One of the US’s most distinguished academics, James Q. Wilson exerted a degree of influence at odds with his unassuming public manner. He was an authority in many fields, from crime to government, education, moral philosophy and management theory. As the co-author of the so-called “broken windows” approach to law enforcement, he was one of the inspirations for what came to be known as “zero tolerance”, a method adopted by police forces on both sides of the Atlantic.

A professor at Harvard and UCLA, Wilson served as an adviser to several US presidents. His writing was free of jargon and